Two record breaking sales days in a row? How bad does this town and the fans want a competitive team? Pretty bad by the looks of things.

Detroit is and always has been one of the more passionate baseball cities in the country. Believe it or not, but despite the teams' performances, Detroit remains more of a football and baseball town than hockey and basketball. I wouldn't be surprised to see attendance to Tiger games increase 50-100% this season. The hunger for real baseball in this city has been building for years.

I have a gut feeling that the fans are going to be disappointed this season. I believe the Tigers will become a better team but since this city's expectations are too high, it will disappoint the city of Detroit.

Comp625 wrote:I have a gut feeling that the fans are going to be disappointed this season. I believe the Tigers will become a better team but since this city's expectations are too high, it will disappoint the city of Detroit.

What do you think the expectations are? This is a team that lost 119 games last year. My family back in Michigan aren't expecting a World Series - or even a run at the AL Central. They are, however, expecting an improving team. I don't know, maybe 'only' 90 losses.

More importantly, they are expecting a new commitment from management. Believe it or not, this started last year - as Dumbrowski, Tram, Gibby and Parrish expunged the baseball wasteland that Randy Smith left. (Though I still think it was a bad move to bring up Bonderman ...)

Tigers fans aren't impatient bandwagon fans. They are pretty savvy. They understand a building process when they see it, and they know when managment is simply spinning wheels.

"The game has a cleanness. If you do a good job, the numbers say so. You don't have to ask anyone or play politics. You don't have to wait for the reviews." - Sandy Koufax

Comp625 wrote:I have a gut feeling that the fans are going to be disappointed this season. I believe the Tigers will become a better team but since this city's expectations are too high, it will disappoint the city of Detroit.

What do you think the expectations are? This is a team that lost 119 games last year. My family back in Michigan aren't expecting a World Series - or even a run at the AL Central. They are, however, expecting an improving team. I don't know, maybe 'only' 90 losses.

More importantly, they are expecting a new commitment from management. Believe it or not, this started last year - as Dumbrowski, Tram, Gibby and Parrish expunged the baseball wasteland that Randy Smith left. (Though I still think it was a bad move to bring up Bonderman ...)

Tigers fans aren't impatient bandwagon fans. They are pretty savvy. They understand a building process when they see it, and they know when managment is simply spinning wheels.

The expectations aren't that high, at least not to knowledgeable Tiger fans. There are going to be those that look at what Florida did and think that since the Tigers signed Pudge, the same thing will happen in Detroit. But most Tiger fans are just looking for some hope right now.

Signing Pudge does a few things for Tiger fans. For one, it gives the team a solid, marquee player to identify with. Since the days of Tram & Whitaker up the middle, and the couple of seasons with big Cecil at 1B, the Tigers have pretty much been without a big name player. Pudge fills that void.

Also, signing Pudge gives the young and impressionable pitching corps a proven C to deal with. Brandon Inge's defense was solid, but he's still got much to learn.

Pudge also brings another potent veteran bat to the lineup. The Tigers' leadership in the everyday lineup last season came down to Dmitri Young, and a health challenged Bobby Higginson. Young stood up to the challenge, Higgy did not. The rest of the lineup was clearly overmatched in terms of skill, experience, or both. Pudge, Rondell White, Fernando Vina, and Carlos Guillen help bridge some of those gaps in the lineup, and also bridge the present lineup to the future lineup (which could feature Omar Infante, Nook Logan, Cody Ross to name a few). Younger hitters like Carlos Pena, Eric Munson, Craig Monroe, and Alex Sanchez (OK, not as young, but could use some leadership rubbing off on him) should benefit from the lineup changes.

I believe as much as anyone in the power of synergy. And while the acquisitions won't transform the Tigers into championship contenders, I do think it is very possible that they could contend for the divisional crown by creeping up to .500. The division is simply not that strong --- I wouldn't be surprised if the pennant went to a team with a record of 85-77.

I'm gonna say the Tigers finish 75-87. Not too great, but considering what they endured last season, mediocrity is a step in the right direction.

Addicted to the Cafe on 01/04/04.

Casimir

College Coach

Posts: 139

Joined: 4 Jan 2004

Home Cafe: Baseball

Location: On my way to the World Series victory parade for the Tigers.

Comp625 wrote:I have a gut feeling that the fans are going to be disappointed this season. I believe the Tigers will become a better team but since this city's expectations are too high, it will disappoint the city of Detroit.

What do you think the expectations are? This is a team that lost 119 games last year. My family back in Michigan aren't expecting a World Series - or even a run at the AL Central. They are, however, expecting an improving team. I don't know, maybe 'only' 90 losses.

More importantly, they are expecting a new commitment from management. Believe it or not, this started last year - as Dumbrowski, Tram, Gibby and Parrish expunged the baseball wasteland that Randy Smith left. (Though I still think it was a bad move to bring up Bonderman ...)

Tigers fans aren't impatient bandwagon fans. They are pretty savvy. They understand a building process when they see it, and they know when managment is simply spinning wheels.

The expectations aren't that high, at least not to knowledgeable Tiger fans. There are going to be those that look at what Florida did and think that since the Tigers signed Pudge, the same thing will happen in Detroit. But most Tiger fans are just looking for some hope right now.

Signing Pudge does a few things for Tiger fans. For one, it gives the team a solid, marquee player to identify with. Since the days of Tram & Whitaker up the middle, and the couple of seasons with big Cecil at 1B, the Tigers have pretty much been without a big name player. Pudge fills that void.

Also, signing Pudge gives the young and impressionable pitching corps a proven C to deal with. Brandon Inge's defense was solid, but he's still got much to learn.

Pudge also brings another potent veteran bat to the lineup. The Tigers' leadership in the everyday lineup last season came down to Dmitri Young, and a health challenged Bobby Higginson. Young stood up to the challenge, Higgy did not. The rest of the lineup was clearly overmatched in terms of skill, experience, or both. Pudge, Rondell White, Fernando Vina, and Carlos Guillen help bridge some of those gaps in the lineup, and also bridge the present lineup to the future lineup (which could feature Omar Infante, Nook Logan, Cody Ross to name a few). Younger hitters like Carlos Pena, Eric Munson, Craig Monroe, and Alex Sanchez (OK, not as young, but could use some leadership rubbing off on him) should benefit from the lineup changes.

I believe as much as anyone in the power of synergy. And while the acquisitions won't transform the Tigers into championship contenders, I do think it is very possible that they could contend for the divisional crown by creeping up to .500. The division is simply not that strong --- I wouldn't be surprised if the pennant went to a team with a record of 85-77.

I'm gonna say the Tigers finish 75-87. Not too great, but considering what they endured last season, mediocrity is a step in the right direction.

I actually agree with everything that Casimir said right down to even his predicted record of 75-87 (at least my guess is right around there anyways). I would still like to see them sign a veteran pitcher, any veteran, to fill a rotation spot. I'm not talking a Greg Maddux, just an innings-eater who would be better than anything they throw out there as their current #5 starter.
Yeah and as it turns out, Pudge and Borras ARE richer. But, hey, as long as this turns out beneficial for the Tigers, I don't care.